Marti

ANY discoloration in the nail plate is cause for concern. Let me explain the difference between the three major nail disorders.

Fungus: fungus is caused by a spore that enters the space between the nail plate and the nail bed if there is a cut, tear or break to the seal surrounfing the nail unit. Fungus will turn the nail plate yellow, it will thicken and will separate from the nail bed with apparent debris in the area of separation. Fungus is diagnosed by a physician taking a scraping of the debris and growing a culture in a petri dish.

Yeast (Candida) can be contracted in the same manner, but is characterized by a very white coloration at the free edge and where the natural 'smile' line begins to turn into a 'frown'. the nail plate willseparate from the nail bed, but the nail will not necessarily thicken, nor will it turn yellow and it will not have any debris in the area of separation.

Pseudomonas Bacterial infection is contracted through a cut, tear or break to the seal surrounding the nail unit. It is characterized by a light green to brown to black discoloration. The darker the color, the worse the infection. Pseudomonas can make the nail palte separate from the nail bed as well, but there is no apparent debris in the area of separation.

Any of these infections will need to be diagnosed by a physician and treated properly as they will only get worse with no attention. they can also be spread from one person to another through shared manicure implements.

It is against the law in all 50 states for a manicurist to work on an infected nail which is why the instructor would not let the student manicure your nails. However, the instructor should have handled it differently and simply told you that you had a nail infection and they could not work on your nails. they should have also suggested you see your physician for a proper diagnosis and prescription.